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By William Brand
Friday, October 1st, 2004 at 6:22 pm in Uncategorized.

DENVER _ After an afternoon of serious consideration at Falling Rock Ale House, a panel of Great American Beer Festival Judges Friday named Pizza Ports Hop 15 _ the Alpha King, that is, it is in the panels opinion _ the hoppiest beer in America.
Tomme Arthur of Pizza Port, Solano Beach in San Diego County, produced Hop 15.
The brewery at Pizza Port in Carlsbad, also in San Diego County, won second place honors with Frank.
Third place went to Pure Hoppiness, from Alpine Brewing, Oroville, WA.
A bit of background _ hops have long been used to preserve beer and balance the sweetness of the malt.
Hops are cone-shaped flowers of the female hop vine. Lupulin oil in the hop flower give beer its bitterness and hoppy aroma.
Briefly, there are “noble hops chosen for their splendid aroma and high-alpha hops used to give beer its bitterness. The Alpha King contest celebrates hugely hoppy beers _ a style of sorts that is becoming increasingly popular. For instance, consider the Bistro in Hayward, Californias Double India Pale Ale bash.
Want to learn more about hops _ heres a link I found: http://www.rpi.edu/dept/chem-eng/Biotech-Environ/beer/hops/hops1.htm.
For details on the Alpha King contest _ check out the next issue of Tom Dalldorfs Celebrator Beer News, which is widely available in the San Francisco Bay Area, California and around the country at fine beer stores, pubs and bewpubs.
The Brewing News publications also cover the event. — WILLIAM BRAND